At the pace of technological change, there is a great demand for portable workstations and workstation devices. In particular, there is a need for portable workstations which can be folded so as to be readily portable, having a seat portion and a table portion (with light after dark) for holding a book, electronic device, and papers, among other things. A number of workstation devices are known in the furniture and arts.
Examples of prior art patents relating to portable devices having a seat can be found in U.S. Design Pat. No. Des. 338,345 issued to inventor Camp for a collapsible seat; U.S. Design Pat. No. Des. 474,041 issued to inventors Howard et al. for a portable folding chair; and U.S. Pat. No. 6,899,388 issued to inventor Enrique for a portable chair and cane with umbrella.
It is a problem in the prior art to make workstation devices that would be portable and foldable, and easy to set up. Additionally, such workstation devices should be easy to collapse or fold, and should be easy to stow. Further, such workstation devices should have a work support tray, and should be stable in use, as well as lightweight.
Outdoor folding chairs are also well known, particularly those with flexible fabric seats which are cot-like in operation. However, such outdoor folding chairs are not adapted to serve as portable workstations.
None of the prior art devices are adapted to overcome the aforementioned deficiencies of the prior art. There is, therefore, a need in the prior art to provide a convenient, lightweight, portable workstation for outdoor use in all weather conditions and in dark, having a support such as a shelf or table (with light) portion. Further, there is a need in the prior art to provide such a portable workstation which can be used outdoors and which therefore additionally includes a sheltering device or sheltering portion for providing shelter for the user from the elements found outdoors, including sun, snow, rain and in dark.
In view of the aforementioned deficiencies and needs in the prior art, and in addition to the foregoing, it is also a problem in the prior art to provide a lightweight, foldable, and easy to use workstation having an umbrella mounted on a movable support, to provide shelter from the elements while outdoors.
It is a further problem in the art to provide a novel and useful construction of a foldable workstation device which overcomes the deficiencies of the prior art, including an improved construction, including improved pivot elements, a tray or table portion with lights and ratchet joints for adjustable positioning of a sheltering device such as an umbrella.
Further, it is a problem in the art to provide a convenient, lightweight, portable workstation which can be reduced to a chair by omission of a tray or table portion and the flashlight assembly, while also having a sheltering device or portion for providing shelter for the user from the elements found outdoors, including sun, snow, and rain.